Is the V6 "THE" Camaro now?

[KatarHol]

So is GM postioning the V6 to be the main Camaro now? When the 4th gen came out,all pics and media info were Z28,Z28,Z28,the V6 was strictly the money maker that nobody actually wanted,nor cared about,magazines included. Same with the '90s Mustang and the '05-09 Mustang or the new Challenger,the focus is on the V8 or the higher end model and you let the image of the that car trinkle down to the lower models that get no press or love.
But,with this Camaro,the SS is barely mentioned,there are no pics of the V8 in any magazines(i haven't got the new Road and Track yet),all the press is of the V6,the Milford video focused mainly on the V6. It kinda of reminds me of a BMW 3-series,the glamour model and the one that gets the most press is the regular 328i or 335i as opposed to the M3,which is a more specialized and rarer car,but anyone who buys the lower model 3-series don't feel like they've compromised.................is GM hoping that people will think that this is THE Camaro. I know the V6 pony car has its place,it's very important to the line,but i don't recall any getting this much attention as this RS,is it really that good or GM really playing it PC with the changing times?? Could GM think of this Camaro as a bargain G37 or 3-series as opposed to a Mustang competitor?
I'm of the opinion that once these cars get in customers hands,the traditional pony car class-system will show itself and no matter that the V6 has 300HP,it will be looked down upon or buyers will feel that they've compromised and we won't hear too much about this RS as we are now,i may be wrong,but i think as human nature goes,there won't be any lovefest for this car as time goes on. The SS will take center stage as should have from the start..................by the way,i'm not 6 bashing,i've owned a V6 Mustang and V6 Camaro,i just think its odd that the SS isn't getting any love.

[Wm Holden]

it's all marketing and money.....after losing 15.5 billion..they are very concerned with moving the product.

[Chocolate Apocalypse]

Considering the price of gas I'm not surprised GM is pushing the V6, I would too! It's sporty, will get good mileage, looks great, all for a relatively inexpensive price. GM needs to get the word out that they have a winner on their hands and get people in the showrooms I'm sure we'll see more of the SS as time goes on, how could we not? I just hope we see more and better commercials for the 5th gen than the 4th.

[theholycow]

Everyone expects the V8 to kick ass. The V8 attracts potential customers on its own and sells itself. The V6 will sell itself, but they're going to have to bring in the potential customers for it first.

[stovt001]

Given that the V6's numbers are pretty competitive with the Mustang GT and Nissan 350Z, both of which sell pretty darn well, yes I'd say the V6 is going to be the definitive Camaro of this generation, with the SS and potential Z28 being more niche, like the NISMO 350Z or S2000 CR

[DGthe3]

The SS will be known by anyone who is interested. But there are more cars that people might cross shop the V6 against. So GM needs to make the V6 Camaros known. they were always supposed to be the bulk seller anyway, to the order of about 70k units a year

[Mungo]

KatarHol! I'm sure that marketing played a huge roll in the decisions that GM made. I'm sure that they looked at the V-6 Mustang sales and saw that there is a segment of buyers who want a cool looking car with reasonable horsepower for a good price. The Camaro will be no different. If we had in the bygone days of muscle cars a V-6 engine that produced 304 HP, we would have gone for it too. Just look at the overall car itself. A great looking car with full independent rear suspension(the Mustang still doesn't give you that), a six speed tranny with paddle shift capability, traction control stabilitrac. I'm sure that if this RS is the main car that everyday buyers can afford that gives good gas milage, the after market will have many upgrades for more horsepower. The key is if we ASK for it. Marketing is based on what the masses ask for. The Cadillac CTS with the same engine is what is what keeps Cadillac afloat. I think this V-6 Camaro will do the same for Chevrolet. To prove my point just wait till the V-6 RS convertable comes out. The main buyers for the Mustang convertable are woman. The Camaro convertible is WAY cooler than the Mustang. And if they make a indianapolis pace car version (I'm sure they will..hint..hint), like they did in '69,that will definately put Camaro over the top. IMHO. The world of hot cars and hot rodding always evolves.

[chevydude26]

very smart move by gm...the v6 is the moneymaker anyway...

more people can afford the v6 if you make it more desireable you will sell more camaros

if you make the v6 a car that looks gimped and more people aspire to own the ss but can't afford one...you lose a sale to a cheaper car because they might not want the gimped v6

make the v6 a 300hp easily modified car and i think you've got a a monster...and a legend that the tuning crowd can have a blast with that has a low weight...

brilliant honestly...

[Mr. Wyndham]

Originally Posted by KatarHol

I'm of the opinion that once these cars get in customers hands,the traditional pony car class-system will show itself and no matter that the V6 has 300HP,it will be looked down upon or buyers will feel that they've compromised and we won't hear too much about this RS as we are now,i may be wrong,but i think as human nature goes,there won't be any lovefest for this car as time goes on. The SS will take center stage as should have from the start..................by the way,i'm not 6 bashing,i've owned a V6 Mustang and V6 Camaro,i just think its odd that the SS isn't getting any love.

I don't think that will happen at all! The SS is not in the interests of the majority of 'normal' buyers. The V6 IS. Which means the V6 model is going ot make the most money for GM.

But the problem is that when you think Camaro; you think V8. It's almost always been that way. The marketing that GM is pushing for the V6 is intended to break that thinking, and give the V6 a proper spotlight in the marketplace. There is nothing compromising about this V6: you get V8 performance with V6 fuel economy for a V6 price! I don't think the SS will upstage it anywhere besides the track. But do 'normal' buyers bring their Camaro's to the track?

As...how could I best say this....as upsetting as it is to some; the SS isn't going to be the "main event" Camaro unless gas prices go down, GM comes back to full "power", and the economy rights itself. Even then, I think we're going to hear a LOT about efficiency in the coming decades. Marketing the SS in those conditions as 'better' than the LS/LT/RS, would be one of the stupidest things I could think they'd do with this car. The SS is now a silent Hero (I like the 335i v. M3 comparison), that's where it belongs right now, and I think it will stay that way for some time to come...

[AZCamaroFan]

Well considering how great of an engine it is, they should promote it.

[The_Blur]

Originally Posted by chevydude26

very smart move by gm...the v6 is the moneymaker anyway...

more people can afford the v6 if you make it more desireable you will sell more camaros

if you make the v6 a car that looks gimped and more people aspire to own the ss but can't afford one...you lose a sale to a cheaper car because they might not want the gimped v6

make the v6 a 300hp easily modified car and i think you've got a a monster...and a legend that the tuning crowd can have a blast with that has a low weight...

brilliant honestly...

Right now, power is not the first thing on most minds. They want to spend less on gas. Hopefully, prices will drop some more so GM can advertise it, but in the meantime, the V6 will make a great car because it isn't weak. It won't have steelies and will not look like a base car. It will be very sporty. I would expect the only gimped model will be the LNF Camaro if GM ever makes one.

[Camaro0911]

Maybe the reason for the SS not getting as much camera time is because GM is not sure if the V8 is going to have that bhp or if they are going to boost it up a bit

[The_Blur]

Originally Posted by Camaro0911

Maybe the reason for the SS not getting as much camera time is because GM is not sure if the V8 is going to have that bhp or if they are going to boost it up a bit

GM is very sure at this point. There's no point in releasing specifications if they aren't correct. GM just wants to focus on the big seller. When the Camaro succeeds, it makes GM look good in comparison to certain competitors that thrive on the 300-hp level.

[shadowed_Stranger]

I started a thread about this entitled is anyone worried about the v8, and fbodfather says that although they are heavile marketing the v6, the v8 is definately not an afterthought.